Game apparatus



April 17, 1934. H 1 ROBERTS 1,955,344

GAME APPARATUS Filed May 17, 1935 ogkljf i /f \l l l 5Zoll 126215Z? Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to that type of game apparatus which includes a portable bowlingalley proportioned to rest on a table, and having a forward end formed to support bowling pins,

and a rear end from which balls may roll to the forward end, and a dirigible runway formed and arranged to receive a ball at a point above, and near the forward end of the alley` to conduct a ball first away from the forward end toward 1,0 the rear end, and then reverse the direction of the ball, deliver it on the rear end ofY the ailey, and cause` itsmovement along ythe alley tothe front,end.th,e runway being dirigibleby swingu ing it on a vertical axis tovary the path of the ball.r

The invention vis embodied in certain improvements in the form and construction of the runway, thesame being a bent tube characterized as hereinafter described, and in means for supporting the tube in such manner asy to permitv Figure 3 is a fragmental edge view showingy a portion of the alley, and the bridge hereinafter described folded upon the alley.-r

Figure 4' is a section on line 4--4of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a View similar to` Figure 2 illustrating a phase of the operation.

The same reference,` characters indicate the 3 5 saine parts in all of the gures.

The alley isportable and proportioned to bear on a table or other support, its preferred length being about sixfeet. The balltrack 12 of the alley has a forward end on which bowling pins 13 may be `assernlziled in triangular formation, `and a rear end from which aball 14 may roll to the forward end.

In `this instance the alley includes also a base l5 to which the ball track is attached, and inar- 4 5 ginal members 16 attached to and projecting be` the alley are adapted to extend through the slots ward the forward end of the track, and a ball-u receiving end portion 21 longer than they delivering portion inclined upwardly from the neck portion and extending forward to a point above the central portion of thetrack. i cib The delivering portion 21 is pivotally connected with the rear end of the track 12 by means con.- stituting a substantially vertical axis `on which the tubeis adapted to swing to vary the path of a bali emerging from the delivery portion 2l, and rolling on the rack l2. Said means is embodied in this instance in a vertical socket 22 inserted in lthe rear end of track 12, and a pivot stud 23 'adapted to turn in the socket, and provided with a curved head 24 which is sol- 'go dered, or otherwise attached, to the under side of the delivering portion.

With the alley isconnected a bridge including a horizontal guide member 25 elevated above and extending crosswise of the alley, andniovably supporting the inclined tube portion 21. Said bridge preferably includes standards 26 pivoted at 27 to side portions of the alley, and engaged with the ends oi the guide" 25 said ends passing throughorices in the standards and vhaving wing nuts 28 seated on the standards.`

, The bridge includes also braces 29 pivoted' at 30 to the standards, and having slots 31 in their free ends. Bolts32 xed to the side portions of 3l, and are provided with clamping nuts 33 adapted to detachablysecure the slotted endsof the braces to the alley.` When the braces are detached from the alley the bridge may be folded as shown by Figure 3, the guide member 25 enter- A ing notches 34 in the alley sides. The pivot ineinber 23k is withdrawable from the socket member 22, and the inclined portion 21 is separable from the guide member 25, so that the tube may be laid flat (on the alley to complete thecompact 495 foldingof the apparatus.

The direction of the progressive movement of a ball rolling in the tube is reversed by the passage of the ball through` the neck portionZG, and the base of the neck portion acts to indeiinitely alter the direction of the torque of the ball so that the path of the ball emerging from the tube is more or less uncertain. Long continued use of the apparatus demonstrates the fact that when a player has imparted a given adjustment to the A105 tube and sends balls successively through the tube without varying its adjustment, the balls are liable to roll in diierent paths along the track as indicated by Figure 5, in which the diverging dotted lines 37, 38 and 39 indicate thepaths of :.110

three balls successively sent through the tube while the latter is at a predetermined adjustment.

The divergence of said paths is due to changes in the direction of the torque of the balls when they are passing through the neck portion of the tube. Said neck portion therefore constitutes a hazard in that a player cannot rely on a given adjustment of the tube to direct the ball against an objective formed by a given pin, or pins.

I claim:

1. A portable game apparatus of the bowling alley type which includes a ball track having a forward end formed to support bowling pins, and a rear end from which a ball may roll to the forward end, the apparatus being characterized rst by a dirigible ball-guiding tube including a balldelivering end portion bearing on the head end of the track, a neck portion curved upward from the delivering portion and extending forward toward the forward end of the track, and a ballreceiving portion longer than the delivering portion, inclined upwardly from the neck portion and extending forward to a point above the central portion of the track, the ball-delivering portion being pivotally connected with the rear end of the track by means constituting a substantially vertical axis on which the tube is adapted to swing horizontally to vary the path of a ball emerging from the delivering portion, and secondly a horizontal guide member elevated above and extending crosswise of the track, and movably supporting the inclined portion of the tube, the tube bore having a diameter greater than that of the balls employed, so that a ball may roll freely from end to end of the tube, the curved neck portion acting to reverse the direction of the progressive movement of the ball, and to indefinitely alter the direction of its torque so that the path of a ball emerging from the tube is uncertain.

2. A game apparatus as specified by claim l, said guide member being supported by standards pivoted to side portions of the alley and engaged with the ends of the guide, and braces detachably connected with the alley and pivoted to the standards, said guide member standards and braces constituting a bridge which is foldable against the alley when the braces are detached therefrom, the pivot member of the tube being withdrawable from the socket member in the track, and the inclined portion of the tube being separable from the guide member, so that the tube nay be laid upon the alley to complete the folding of the apparatus.

HOLLIS L. ROBERTS. 

